Emotions
by Stellar Eclipse
Summary: They each knew when to push the other forward, and they each knew when to pull the other back. CLC.
1. Chapter 1

_I may do another chapter if I get enough suggestions for other emotions. Have at thee. :D_

_Disclaimer: dood, _fan_fiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act._

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Cloud knew when Leon was agitated; he would pace and rant quietly, then try to calm himself by leaning against any available vertical surface with his arms folded and his eyes closed, sometimes with two fingers pinched just above the bridge of his nose. Cloud called this his "thinking time", and often brought him back by standing at his side and mirroring his position until the brunet cracked a smile.

Leon knew when Cloud was agitated; he would shut up, shut down, and disappear for hours, even days at a time. Leon called this his "thinking time", and often found him and brought him back with a mild touch to the arm or an affectionate thump on the chest and a nod towards home, depending on the mood he found him in.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was excited; his face would light up subtly and he'd straighten his already-perfect posture, so attentive and eager to learn or think or experience. Though introverted, he made a fine leader, and he was one they all were willing to follow.

Leon knew when Cloud was excited; his eyes would glow and his entire body seemed to radiate energy, and it seemed quite contagious to those nearby. Though reluctant, he made a fine leader, and he was one they were all willing to stand behind.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was angry; his eyes would narrow and his body would stiffen, and he would often retreat to his favorite training spot and practice hard for hours and hours in order to not take out his aggression, misplaced or not, on the wrong person.

Leon knew when Cloud was angry; his speech would become clipped and his mannerisms terse, and though he rarely lost his temper, people knew well enough to give him a wide berth if he stalked by, often chasing down Leon for an impromptu sparring session to vent his frustrations.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was sad; he became more reserved than usual, and didn't like to make eye contact. It was always hard for Cloud to see, because he believed there was nothing in the world he could do to make his reason for being sad go away.

Leon knew when Cloud was sad; he was able to hide this emotion fairly well, except from those he was closest to. Both Tifa and Leon recognized that look in his eyes, and both were equally determined to keep him from caving in on himself completely.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was aroused; his breathing would grow very quiet, very shallow, as if any sound or movement he made might scare the other off, but he was very responsive in other ways. He also had an instinctive need to keep the playing field level, something his partner never really seemed to mind.

Leon knew when Cloud was aroused; his eyes would close and his breath would hitch just slightly, and though he seemed stiff and restrained most of the time, in those moments, he was graceful and enticing. He also had a tendency to get very affectionate afterwards, something his partner never really seemed to mind.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was afraid; he'd flare up and try his damnedest to shield those he was close to with little regard for personal safety, though nearly everyone was quite capable of protecting themselves as well and shook their heads fondly at his valiance.

Leon knew when Cloud was afraid; he'd pull away in fear of failing those he was close to, thinking they'd be safer without him near, though everyone he was close to wholeheartedly disagreed and quite a few wanted to smack him over the head about it.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was happy; the smallest of smirks would cross his face and he would shake his head, then cross his arms over his chest and tilt his chin down a little, as if he would very much like to hide the expression.

Leon knew when Cloud was happy; the smallest of smiles would pull back one of his cheeks ever so slightly, and his vibrant eyes would shine softly, shyly, though he usually hid this trait and many others might have thought of him as being withdrawn.

* * *

They each knew when to push the other forward, and they each knew when to pull the other back. Maybe they really were too predictable, but maybe that's why they got along so well.


	2. Chapter 2

_Credit to twilightpath and BelleDragon for the prompt "jealousy". The rest are BelleDragon's suggestions, except for "impatient". Thanks, ladies; I hope you like these!_

_Disclaimer: dood, _fan_fiction. Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, and the characters and universes therein are the property of Disney and Square Enix. I receive no remuneration for this work; it is a parody and as such utilizes the Fair Use clause of the Copyright Act._

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Cloud knew when Leon was amused; he really was getting better about letting his guard down in front of his friends, and he had a small, grateful, infectious smile that had recently started to show up with greater frequency. Many townsfolk attributed the change to Cloud's increasing presence in his life.

Leon knew when Cloud was amused; he would try so hard not to smile, even to the point of attempting a stern frown, but one could see the mirth in his very expressive eyes, and eventually he broke down and allowed what Leon considered to be the sweetest smile to crawl over his face, sometimes accompanied by a quiet, helpless laugh.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was jealous; it happened quite frequently because both Aerith and Tifa still weren't quite over him, and though Cloud desperately appreciated their friendship, he hated seeing the dejected look in Leon's eyes whenever one of the girls hugged him a little too tight or too long, or got caught looking at him in what might be construed as a more-than-platonic manner.

Leon knew when Cloud was jealous; it had only really happened one time, and though he knew it was just the girl being her usual excitable and exuberant self, Leon had to admit the constant attention and that one particular..._embrace_...was most likely specifically intended to aggravate Cloud. Once the silently fuming blond remembered that this was, indeed, Yuffie they were dealing with, and realized that it was still he whom Leon was coming home to, the situation resolved itself relatively bloodlessly.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was lonely; he'd sit alone on one of the window sills in the bailey, one knee tucked up to his chest and the gunblade propped just within reach. He would probably try to stay there forever, just staring at the sky, if Cloud didn't know his habits and wander by after a while. He'd always give Leon his space, but he knew that he was helping by just being there.

Leon knew when Cloud was lonely; he'd ignore whatever job he'd been assigned in favor of tagging along with Leon. It didn't seem to matter how hard or monotonous Leon's chosen task was; Cloud would work alongside him quietly, and both of them appeared to benefit from the company.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was impatient; he would pace or drum his fingers on the table or hover over the poor restoration workers at various job sites, and it nearly always drove them all crazy, so the blond took it upon himself to find ways to distract and amuse the other man. Who would have guessed that Leon was so good at card games?

Leon knew when Cloud was impatient; he would bottle up his energy and sit and stew until he decided he'd finally had enough, at which point he either blew up at somebody or disappeared for a few hours to who-knows-where. Most of the time, that who-knows-where happened to be wherever Leon was, and the brunet had gotten quite inventive in finding ways to placate the keyed up blond.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was vulnerable; he only revealed this facet of his personality late at night, when they were alone. He would approach slowly, hold out a hand, and ask in a hesitant whisper for Cloud to hold him, just hold him. He never refused, and they would stand together silently in the darkened room until the feeling eventually subsided.

Leon knew when Cloud was vulnerable; he waited until they were alone, then he would shuffle up to him and press his forehead to his shoulder and just stand there with his arms at his sides, either behind Leon or in front of him, it didn't matter which. Leon would sigh softly, stop what he was doing, and reach up to cradle Cloud's head with one hand, and eventually the feeling would subside.

* * *

Cloud knew when Leon was embarrassed; he'd scoff quietly and turn away to hide the smile (he always claimed it was a defense mechanism), then immediately try to remedy the situation before anyone else found out. If someone teased him about his reaction...well, suffice it to say they quickly learned that a Leon scorned was not one to be messed with.

Leon knew when Cloud was embarrassed; he'd frown, his cheeks would pink up, and he would send a swift and violent glare to whomever (or whatever) had caused him such distress. He usually became quite grumpy afterwards, and it took quite a bit of coercion to drag him back into any kind of social interaction.

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Cloud knew when Leon was content; at these times, not caring who was around to see, he sometimes felt comfortable enough to show a little affection towards Cloud. It usually was something subtle, like not holding back a smile when the blond came into the room, or discreetly squeezing his hand if he walked by close enough.

Leon knew when Cloud was content; at these times, he was quite a bit more confident than Leon, and would randomly interrupt him in the middle of work, wrap a hand around the back of his neck, and engage him in a thorough, meaningful kiss. After a moment or two, even Leon didn't remember that someone might be watching.

* * *

They really were compatible; nearly everyone in town agreed, and they were all relieved when the two finally decided to stop downplaying their relationship and let everyone see it for what it was: love.


End file.
